RE: useing a flashlight to get to the stand early
I also hunt a lot of public land so there is no way that I am going in the dark w/o some kind of light.
I use a regular LED light and I don't seem to have any problems with pushing deer. I try to get in the stand at LEAST thirty minutes before the sun starts to rise.
From my experiences if a deer sees you, but can not smell you, they will get courious, but most of the time they don't altert and even if they do, they usually come back.
I had this happen a few days ago. Two mature does came in and one of them seen me reach for my bow. One of them ran about 50yds back and started to blow. Trying to wind me ,but never could. Bout ten minutes later, here come the same two does right back to me, but on a different trail.